In an effort to create Rome’s first long term mural, we chose the Rome/ Floyd County Library as the site for Rome’s flagship mural. Partnering with a local university’s volunteer program, 60 students complete the 200-foot long mural in about 6 hours on a city wide volunteer day.
Broad Street is a thriving central business district, with adaptive reuses and retail continuously evolving and updating downtown storefronts. Unexpected Canvas is a way to use the temporary plywood barriers for these construction sites as a blank canvas that had the potential to bring art, community, and placemaking, while celebrating the success of the district. Through a partnership between the Rome Planning Department, the Rome Area Council for the Arts, and Rome’s Makerspace, we were able to notify the new business owners of the program to help find funding for supplies and put out a request for local artists.